The parable for our study today can be better understood if we know a couple of things before reading it.
First, it was customary for a procession to take place for a bride to leave her family home to the husband’s.
In the parable, 10 young women were to carry torches dipped in oil. The length of time a torch could stay lit was about 20 minutes, so they needed a supply of oil to keep them lit.
Jesus told about 10 young women, five wise and five foolish.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
“When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps” (Matthew 25.1-4).
A good way to understand the wise and the foolish women in the parable is to remember what Jesus had to say about the wise and the foolish people in the Sermon on the Mount.
“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
“The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock.
“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” (Matthew 7.24-27).
Foolish people who heard Jesus’ message in the Sermon on the Mount but didn’t act on it were certainly not ready for the bridegroom to come.
Sleeping Women
Both the wise and the foolish women fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom to come. When he arrived, the difference between the two groups was that the wise women had made long-term preparations for his arrival, and unfortunately, the foolish ones had not.
“As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
“But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves’” (Matthew 25.5-9).
Think back to the fact that a torch needed frequent dipping in oil to remain lit. The wise women didn’t have enough oil to go around.
The point being made is that long-term preparations are necessary, even with the bridegroom’s delay.
The Bible often discusses discipleship as a faithful walk with the Lord. If we walk with the Lord by following His actions and teachings, we will have made long-term preparations for his arrival.
If we neglect those and choose not to do them, we will not be able to be prepared at the last moment.
Weeping at the Banquet
The last-minute efforts of the women could not make up for their failure to prepare in the long run. What should have been a joyful occasion was for them a time of weeping.
“And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
“Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
“Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25.10-13).
Once again, the Sermon on the Mount interprets this section quite well. Notice the similarity between Jesus’ sermon and the parable.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
“Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly'” (Matthew 7.21-23).
The seriousness of Jesus’ words, both in this parable and in the Sermon on the Mount, should cause us to take inventory of our spiritual lives.
By all means, let’s make sure that we are, day by day, living as faithful friends of our heavenly Bridegroom.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 